'Social Distancing' Experiment To be Unveiled at NY Conference on Pandemic Flu; French Government to Partner with Safe America in Conducting Trans-Atlantic 'Social Distancing' Experiment

Business Wire, Sept 4, 2006

NEW YORK -- The Safe America Foundation is planning to conduct the first 'social distancing' experiment to test the effectiveness of this form of public health intervention in relation to the 'Pandemic Flu' and the potential impacts on business operations. The planned 'social distancing' experiment--to be announced here Wednesday at Safe America's flu-preparedness conference for business leaders--will be done in a transatlantic pairing of U.S. and French companies, according to Foundation President Len Pagano.

"Medical and government experts agree that social distancing, which involves several important actions including keeping a greater than normal distance from others, can be the first line of defense in reducing the spread of a pandemic," said Motorola Fellow Gary Grube, Chairman of the Board for the Safe America Foundation. "But is it practical in the workplace? What are the difficulties implementing such a plan? What resources will be needed? Those are some of the questions we hope to answer at this conference and through this experiment."

French Chief Medical Officer and National Flu Coordinator Dr. Didier Houssin will oversee the French Government's involvement, while Safe America coordinates the involvement of U.S. firms. The American offices of the international consulting firms Booz Allen Hamilton and PA Consulting have been asked to help design a social distancing experiment that will help identify and evaluate techniques for businesses to cope with the potential of an influenza pandemic. Factors such as practicality, business disruption, costs, and technology implications will be considered.

"Social distancing has been touted as a logical strategy - and yet it hasn't been properly evaluated," said Safe America President & CEO Len Pagano. "We're pleased to facilitate this test - with the French Government, the CDC, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - so we can make sure we're ready for any pandemic outbreak."

Pagano noted that the social distancing experiment is part of the 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' initiative, a national program designed to orient American firms to what can be done to plan for a Pandemic - whether from Avian Flu or other causes. Safe America will launch its national 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' campaign at NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza with a one-day business briefing on Wednesday, September 6.

Over 200 New York area business and government leaders are expected to convene to explore the pandemic question from a business perspective. The conference will be conducted by the Safe America Foundation, a national nonprofit organization focused on safety and preparedness which leads the 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' campaign. It is co-sponsored by Motorola, Booz Allen Hamilton, Roche Laboratories, 3M, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Affiliated Physicians, Aramsco, PA Consulting, WNBC 4 and Columbia University. The program, which is open to all interested parties, begins at 8:30 a.m.

During the conference, Dr. Didier Houssin, Chief Medical Officer and National Flu Coordinator for France, will discuss the aggressive preparations his government is taking in response to the pandemic threat. He is also expected to announce the French firm that will conduct the social distancing experiment in that country. The experiment will take place on a yet-to-be-determined date this winter.

Featured Speakers for New York 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' Conference (9/6) include:

--Dr. David Nabarro, Senior U.N. System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza

--Mr. Al Martinez-Fonts, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Business Relations of the Department of Homeland Security

--Dr. Irwin Redlener, Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University

--Ms. Lisa Koonin, Director of Business Partnerships, Centers for Disease Control and Injury Prevention (CDC)

Dr. Betty Siegel, President of the Safe America Institute - the research and educational arm of the Safe America Foundation - adds that the lessons learned not only in the experiment, but also in the series of business discussions conducted by Safe America such as the New York event, could potentially save thousands of lives in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.

"Our focus is to save lives," Dr. Siegel said. "We believe our work in the 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' initiative is tangible activity that will bring international business resources together in a meaningful way - just the way the UN is working with government leaders globally."

The conference also seeks to bring the topic of a potential pandemic influenza outbreak back to the forefront of national discussion. "This is truly a global problem, and everyone in every country faces the threat of a potential pandemic," Safe America President Len Pagano stated. "We can't allow ourselves to be lulled into thinking that a pandemic is not a threat. It is a very real, and a very serious threat."

Additional conferences are scheduled or planned for Philadelphia, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tulsa, Kansas City, Chicago, Atlanta and Omaha. A national 'wrap-up' briefing is being planned for Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. during the Spring, 2007.